


Settle Down

by GiggleSnortBangDead



Series: Tumblr Fics [4]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Abuse, Anal Sex, Child Death, Domestic Violence, Incest, M/M, Mpreg, Past Underage, The Hale Fire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-12
Updated: 2015-07-12
Packaged: 2018-04-08 22:34:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4323369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GiggleSnortBangDead/pseuds/GiggleSnortBangDead
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Can you please so a Derek/Peter, where Derek is pregnant and Peter starts thinking about his kids that died in the fire and is a afraid about the one he's having with Derek?. Please I really need this in my life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Settle Down

**Author's Note:**

> What, even. I don't write mpreg. I don't write Halecest fluff. I'm really sorry, bros. Thar be nastiness below (which you can read about in the below notes, but, like, it's basically all up there in the tags).

 

When he found out Derek’d been bred, he joked about how it was the universe’s way of evening things out. There had been so much death, within or caused by the family, that it was only fair he and Derek were made to fill those empty spaces.

“Sort of like how lumber companies will replant all of the trees they cut down." Peter explained easily, feeling giddy and warm at the thought of  _life_ brewing inside of his nephew. In return, Derek gave him the bitchiest look anyone had ever received in the history or wolfkind. All it did was make Peter feel even warmer, even giddier, and he placed a kiss on his cheek, got his arms around his nephew, a hand curving down to touch his flat stomach. 

When he felt Derek relaxing into him, he said, "I just hope they don’t get your eyebrows. If our child comes out with a unibrow - ”

Derek huffed, pulled himself away, and left. Peter laughed, but he felt a little uneasy to see him go. 

* * *

Peter had always loved kids. It was a Pack secret that had died with the rest of them, but he’d been a doting and generous uncle in his time. All of his nieces and nephews had declared him the favorite, at least until they got older and realized he was sort of a scumbag. 

But still, as a wolf, he had a soft spot for the young in his family. And it wasn’t just the cubs, as Beta relatives sometimes seemed to lean towards. The common complaint with human children was that they were too fragile, and, in the wrong packs, they often didn’t last like the wolf children did. Peter had known this and been even softer, even sweeter with the human infants, cradling them closer, speaking softer, never flashing his eyes. Talia had laughed, their brother had laughed, and Peter had bared his teeth, shielding the little children even more from his awful older siblings. 

“It’s going to be alright," Peter had cooed to a little thing named Cleo who was playing with his hand, trying to get his fingers into her mouth, seeming generally undisturbed by her father and aunt’s behavior. "I’m gonna protect you, yes, I am. I’m going to always keep you safe.”

“Have your own children.” his brother groaned. “Stop spoiling ours.”

Peter had sneered. He couldn’t possibly imagine liking someone enough to mate and pup with them. “Your daddy’s a nosy little dick, isn’t he, precious?”

“ _Peter._ ”

* * *

“You got Derek knocked up?” Stiles asked, overexcited. Scott was smiling gently on the couch next to him. Isaac just looked confused. “ _Mazel tov,_ dude. Up top.” He held up a hand for Peter to high five and, as funny as Peter may have found it, he was happier leaving him hanging. Derek seemed happier as well, or at least as happy as he could be in his situation.

“Should we be smoking cigars or something?”

“That's  _after_  the baby comes." Peter snobbed, a hand rubbing circles at Derek’s back. His eyes flickered to his stomach. He wasn’t really showing but Peter felt like he could already see it,  _sense_ it. 

"How does that work anyway?” Isaac’s face was crinkled with his discomforted bewilderment.

“Yeah,” Stiles piped in. “Do you have to, like, squeeze it out of your ass?” His eyes lit up and he added, “Or do you have other parts that you never told us about?” He looked at Peter, wagging his eyebrows, lecherous in a way that normally Peter would find charming as he had a soft spot for the kid and lechery alike, but currently just made him want to break his face. “Huh? Derek packing some little secret slot down there?”

“Shut the fuck up.” Derek growled, fangs baring, and if it wasn’t for Peter’s hand on his shoulder, he might have jumped over the coffee table to throttle the teenager.

“If you can’t be polite to my mate," Peter said, teeth clenched in a rigid smile, "I suggest you keep your idiot mouth shut before I close it permanently.” Stiles rolled his eyes, and Peter figured he used hyperbole too often with the young man. He’d have to make good on one of these threats someday. 

“Is it like a c-section?” Scott ventured.

“Very good!" Peter sang with fake cheer. "I knew you didn’t become the True Alpha just because of your looks. A gold star for you.”

“Peter.” Derek warned.

“Dude, why are you so pissy?” Stiles snapped. “ _You're_ the one who invited us over to share the good news.”

“Yes." Peter allowed, feeling his temper raising exponentially with every second the three teenagers remained seated on his couch. "And now you’re uninvited. Well done. You can see yourselves out.”

“What?” Stiles scoffed. “Derek - ”

“You should probably go.” Derek said mildly, a hand on Peter’s thigh, holding him steady. 

Scott stood and grabbed up his Betas by the scruffs of their necks. “See you Wednesday for the Pack meeting.” he said, leading the boys out.

Peter had Derek on his hands and knees the second the door shut, shoving his shirt up to kiss down his spine, a hand coming to clutch right over his mate’s belly. 

* * *

Derek grew up big and strong and Peter liked it. But every now and then, when the image of his soft boyhood wasn’t clouded by the lingering scent of smoke, Peter remembered his nephew’s young slightness. How Peter had been able to tower over him in his adolescence.

He remembered the spark, soon to darken wildly, hair decorating down his chest and stomach and groin. He remembered helping him shave when his real father was busy; getting rid of of the godawful scruff while the boy sat so still, almost trembling, wide-eyed on the bathroom counter-top.

“You know I’d never hurt you." Peter had hummed, amused, fond.

Derek swallowed, wet his flirty, little mouth with his tongue. "Yeah, I… I know that.”

Peter placed a hand on his cool, soft cheek. He touched his mouth there next. He showed Derek how to properly choke his cock five minutes later.

* * *

Derek did the math in his head, a hand idly running over his stomach, which was softer now. Peter was moseying around the kitchen, whipping dinner together. Since the baby had taken seed, he hadn’t allowed Derek to do any of the cooking or washing. The young man pretended to be mad, but Peter knew a pregnant wolf craved being provided for. And he was a good mate, and he was going to be a good father. They were going to be the best family. 

“The baby should be coming in September.” Derek told him. “Just our luck.” he snorted, more to himself. “She’s going to be the first child and the oldest kid in her class.” To his stomach, he said, “You’re going to be so bossy.”

Peter stuck his head out of the doorway, catching Derek’s eye. It took him a second to form the word, lips twisting uselessly until he asked, “She? You said - Do you know - ”

“How would I know, Peter?” Derek sighed. “It’s just a guess. Plus it’s going to be an early fall first child.”

“Like Laura." Peter nodded, and then raised his eyebrows meaningfully. ” _Bossy_.“

"Yeah.” Derek made a short, half-sad huff. He pulled down his shirt and turned on his side, tucking a hand under his cheek to watch Peter. “Do you want a boy or a girl?”

“I couldn’t give less of a shit." Peter told him very seriously, coming to sit at his legs, brushing his hair aside. "Just so long as the two of you are mine and safe.”

Derek rolled his eyes but kissed the man when he leaned in, warm and slow. Peter’s hand shifted to his hip for better leverage, thumb brushing over the gentle slope of the child.

“You like touching it.” Derek hummed as Peter started to slowly kiss down his jaw and then bite at his neck. His nephew made a slight noise, and the said a stilted, “I thought pregnancy was supposed to make me horny all the time, not you." Peter pulled up, eyes dark, feeling more emotional than he could possibly explain. The look made Derek squirm and he huffed, irritated, eyes darting to the side. "I guess I should enjoy it while it lasts. I doubt once this guy comes in, you’ll want much to do with me.”

Peter growled, low, aggressive, which shocked Derek’s gaze back to him. While words had always come easily to him in the past, he couldn’t quite express how wrong the young man was. Instead he flipped him over and wrenched his loose sweatpants over the swell of his ass. Spreading his cheeks apart, he brought his mouth to his nephew’s hole, lapping at it to make him whine like the pup he was.

* * *

Little Cleo was six, didn’t and would never have claws or fangs, but was already fairly manipulative, wolfish in her ways, sly. Peter felt beyond proud, seeing her drive his brother crazy, rewarding her for her minor offensives with candy and hugs and praise.

“You’re a bad influence," Peter was told. 

Peter just bounced Cleo on his knee as she showed him her new learner’s reading packet.

"Do you smell something?” Talia asked all of a sudden.

“Just the brewing potential of young minds." Peter said, grinning down as Cleo showed him a dog she was very excited about.

"No.” Talia said, so seriously that Peter had to look up. He was struck cold by how tense she looked; her eyebrows lowered, her nose raised to scent the air. “Do you  _smell_ that?”

* * *

Peter’s eyes were scrunched up tight. Derek was on his hands and knees, panting, thrusting back, making soft noises that Peter could understand were sounds of the sincerest devotion. 

“I love you,” he returned, his hand snaking around to cradle Derek’s stomach, gentler than he was pounding in. “I love you.”

“Yeah,” Derek urged, hitting back harder.

“I’m going to knot." Peter choked out, hips still slamming fast and forward. Derek just groaned and dropped his head. Just as Peter’s cock started to swell and expand, Derek came with a bitten off, almost hurt noise. 

"Shhh," Peter soothed, cock filling up his boy almost more than he knew he could handle. "I love you,” he said, like it would ease the pain. “You’re inside me just like the child and I are in you." 

"It hurts that badly?” Derek grit out.

“Yes," Peter allowed, and rolled his hips in a tight circle to make his nephew shudder and groan. "But it feels good too.”

“It feels so big sometimes.” Derek said, absently, as Peter started coming inside him. His hand laced over the older man’s, pressing over the bump. “What if there really aren’t supposed to be more Hales?”

“Baby," Peter said, voice tight, his other hand gripping hard onto Derek’s hip, bruising in his effort to keep cool. "Please don’t say shit like that when my cock’s in you.”

Derek huffed and pulled his hand back. Folding his arms in front of him, he buried his face and only made a soft, whining sound whenever Peter’s hips jerked. 

“My love," Peter crooned after a few minutes of Derek’s pouting. "My heart,” he tried. Derek continued to sulk. “My one and only,  _please_ don’t be like that.”

“Like what?” Derek snapped. “I’m being a good, quiet cocksleeve. What else do you want?”

“Oh, honestly, where do you come up with these things?" Peter tsked and eased them onto their sides, so they could lay more comfortably on the bed. He settled in close and hot against Derek’s back, nose brushing against his back, tongue darting out quickly to lick at sweat. "My darling, sweet, _cherished,_ unreasonably grumpy mate,” he murmured, his hands curling down from Derek’s stomach to cup his soft, warm cock, getting him to squirm a little. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like you shouldn’t talk, but the idea that the Hale name isn’t worth carrying on is ridiculous. You understand that, don’t you?”

“Yeah.” Derek grumbled and wiggled back, clenching down more, trying to pull out of Peter’s grasp.

“The, oh…” and Peter had to clear his throat and give Derek a slight swat on the ass to keep him from movie like that again on his oversensitive knot. “The world needs more werewolf babies,” he assured his nephew.

“Sure,” Derek said, and only sounded half convinced.

* * *

Peter didn’t think he’d had any kids. He’d had a few girlfriends along the way, and countless one night stands that he was happy to forget, but he was usually safe. So, he was relatively certain, with the exception of a few nights he couldn’t remember, that there were no Little Peters running around.

He’d always wanted to have some, and maybe a little spouse too, to boss around and bring presents to and sort of keep as a pet. He was pretty sure that was how that worked.

But, he’d never found anyone he’d wanted to keep around for that long, outside of family. And every year, potential offspring were put off until some future, unknowable  _later,_ while Peter tried to find someone he liked enough to trap with some children.

As he approached his late twenties and got more and more attached, emotionally messy, around the other wolves’ children, Talia started to say, “You know, you don’t need a mate to start a family.”

“I have time.” Peter had told her with confidence. “I’m not in a rush.”

* * *

“So, who’s Dad and who’s Daddy?” Isaac was pushing the cart, which seemed to make him think he had the right to ask stupid fucking questions. Derek was thoughtfully considering two different cribs, looking between the white and pink and blue with a connected mobile and the white picket fence themed one, with a painted-on sun and a grass green blanket for display.

Peter answered the nosy Beta for them. “I’m Papa,” he stated. “Derek can be Daddy.”

Derek glared over his shoulder at him. Peter gazed back easily. His nephew was looking overly warm, wearing a sweatshirt in order to hide the bump that was becoming more and more prominent. Peter thought it was cute, his minor embarrassment, and was overall pleased that he was hiding himself this way. No need to bring attentions to themselves.

“I don’t know, Peter.” Derek said, firmly looking away to keep checking prices – more of as a front than a necessity, because they both knew they’d be getting whichever crib they wanted, regardless of price. “I don’t feel like the Daddy type.”

“Well, darling, I can’t be both your’s and the child’s Daddy.” He said, polite and charming, an easy grin on his face. “That’d just get confusing.”

Isaac coughed until he choked. Derek sent him a dirty glare, and Peter winked back.

“Peter, go look through clothes and toys. Isaac and I are going to talk to a sales rep about some of these cribs.”

“But, darling…” Peter near-whined, protesting his blatant banishment with amusement.

“You already told me that I wasn’t allowed to infect our child with my terrible taste, so you get clothes duty.” Derek explained. “We’ll find you once the crib is settled.”

Peter huffed but was actually pleased to be tasked with more interesting decisions. Still, not wanting to be ignored in the final decision of where his firstborn would sleep, he pointed to the cradle with the mobile and said, “I like that one.” Derek’s mouth set in displeasure, which meant that was the one he liked as well, and he’d have to choose between disagreeing with Peter like he wanted and getting something sub-par for their child, or letting his mate win.

He felt good, walking to the clothes aisle, but the farther away Peter got from Derek, the heavier his stomach felt.

* * *

Cleo had started crying as he held her to his chest and looked for an exit. Cora had come running downstairs, already coughing, wailing, “ _Mom! Mom!_ ” and having nothing else to say because they all knew the house was on fire. His brother had run upstairs to get his newborn and his wife and the other assorted relatives who had been settling in for the night. Talia struggled with the locked front door and then the blocked windows.

“What’s going on?" Peter shouted, but his voice sounded far away to his own ears. All he could hear was Cleo’s pounding heartbeat, slamming through his skull. He held her close to him, pressed her nose against his neck for Pack scent. 

Smoke was starting to spread into the living room. "It’s all locked!” Talia was saying. “Someone locked us in!”

Cora started sobbing and coughing and Peter didn’t think she’d last long if she kept that up. “The basement?” he asked, knowing there was a way out through there.

Their brother was making his way down with his wife and the other children and Talia’s husband. “What the fuck is going on?” someone yelled, but Peter, panicked, was already darting to the cellar door, thoughts flying too quickly through his head to accurately weigh his options. Talia was reaching for a phone, which must have been disconnected because she slammed it down angrily and said, “Everyone to the basement." 

* * *

“I haven’t left the house in a week.” Derek groaned, stretching. He had a new book in one hand and he picked up a mug of tea in the other. “I don’t remember staying in one place so long since I was a teenager.”

“We’re in a time of peace.” Peter drawled, looking over the screen of his laptop. “Enjoy it while you can.”

Derek shrugged and came to sit across from him. Sitting took a second longer than usual and Peter let his eye linger on Derek’s new form, his new gait. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to how endeared he felt seeing it, or how nervous and protective it made him.

“I guess it’s been a while since I felt so secure.” Derek allowed, gaze only flicking to Peter for a moment, but it was still enough to convey his meaning. Peter was making him secure, was providing safety for him. Derek didn’t have to worry about anything but keeping their baby warm and growing and healthy.

Being acknowledged as a good mate made Peter want to be an even better one. “Would you like to go out, darling? I could take you to dinner.”

Derek sort of hunched into himself. It was minuscule motion, something no one but Peter would have noticed. “You know it’s not normal for me to go out like this. By now, people will… see.”

Peter wanted to cluck his tongue, take away any notion that Derek didn’t look lovely as he was – but he was right. It was noticeable, and while most people would write it off as physique, they’d still have to deal with staring. Peter could handle that, Derek could not.

Which was how they ended up in Peter’s car, driving off to some heinous fast food restaurant to get Derek one of those Southwestern bacon cheeseburgers that were terrible for him and the baby, but he seemed to be constantly craving.

“Just this once.” Peter assured him.

Derek rolled his eyes, clutching the sweatshirt he used for protection even thought it was too warm and uncomfortable for him to wear it at this point. “It’s not like I have no control.”

Peter just turned the radio on low and got them to the drive-thru.

With their food, Peter took Derek on a drive, letting him eat in the car with the windows rolled down. He got them beyond the preserve, starting towards one of the cities over. It wasn’t the most scenic route, but he was sure Derek was happy enough to be out of the house with the wind blowing in his face.

Peter drove much longer than he expected to, and Derek nodded at a gas station, shrugging on his dark, over-hot sweater. “Pull in there.” he gruffed.

“Why?” Peter hummed, doing as told anyway.

“Bathroom.”

Peter almost laughed, because of how expected it as. He parked and nodded at the door. Derek got out and sauntered in slowly, trying to avoid the pregnant waddle he’d started to display. Peter smirked after him and watched him disappear with only the slightest twinge of worry nagging in his chest.

However, he kept his eye on the clock, and five minutes turned to eight, and his twinge turned into a full on panic. He couldn’t possibly see what was taking Derek that long. It was a tiny store, there were hardly any other people out there. What if something had happened to him?

Taking a deep breath, Peter turned off the ignition and got out, cataloging in his mind all of the things in a shitty gas station that could have potentially harmed his mate. He threw open the door, the bell dinging much too quietly to be heard over his now, he realized, pounding heart.

His eyes zoned in on Derek and he found him talking to a friendly, old convenience store clerk in reading glasses and a cat sweater. Derek met his eyes, and, while he didn’t look comfortable, he wasn’t  _injured._

Peter stomped over.

“Oh, is this your uncle?” she asked. Peter narrowed his eyes at the young man, who said something in affirmation. In retaliation, Peter put his arm around Derek’s waist. The old woman tried not to look too confused.

“Darling, what have you been telling this woman?” he asked, smile tight and sharp, barely holding it together.

Derek looked at him, unsure and clearly unhappy with such a public display of their relationship. “I was just returning the bathroom key, and she asked what we were doing in the area. That’s all.”

“Oh.” Peter bit out and glanced at the woman, trying to look as dismissive as possible. “Is that all? I can’t see why that would take you so long.” He got a glare in response.

“Thanks for your help.” Derek said to the teller as politely as he could, “Sorry. Have a nice night.” and he started to try and drag Peter out of the store.

Peter laid a hand on his mate’s backside, gripping him tight, refusing to budge. When Derek stopped moving, he leaned, kissing him, wet and filthy, eyes and mouth open. He looked at the woman while Derek pushed at his chest and wiped his mouth, and she made some noise and then busied herself with the register.

Derek pulled away completely and stalked out to the parking lot, as much as much as he could in his present state. Peter sent the old woman an almost victorious look before following his nephew out, who was already fuming by the car when he got there.

“What the fuck was that?” was snarled out immediately, an almost clawed hand gesturing back at the store.

“I could ask you the same thing.” Peter sniped, folding his arms across his chest, distantly aware that, no, he really couldn’t. His reaction had been irrational, unfounded, but he was still too sore to admit that.

“What are you  _talking_  about?” Derek near-yelled.

“You were in there for a long time! I was getting  _worried!_ ” and he meant it to come out meaner, more aggressive. Instead his voice sounded small, as nerve-racked as he felt, worried that something had happened to his mate and only child.

Derek didn’t soften, face still hard with anger, a deep sense of hurt underlying his features, but he must have got it too because he turned away and yanked the passenger side car door open, growling, “Just take me home.” before slamming himself inside.

Peter did, and, that night, for the first time ever in his life, he slept on the couch. It was a small price to pay, he thought, almost smugly, for keeping his mate safe and sound in their den. He didn’t think he’d like him to leave it again anytime soon. And, while he missed the warmth and scent of sharing a bed with his nephew, he knew Derek, hormonal and clingy as he was, would miss him more.

Alone, he tried not to dream, just to be safe.

* * *

Peter had never been particularly impressed with Derek’s choice of women, Paige being the major exception, and, to be fair, she hadn’t been wholly Derek’s choice. When the interest had arisen, Peter had been in a position to approve and shape and altogether write their love story, as tragic as it might have been.

He’d been unimpressed by Derek’s late high school girlfriends, when he’d finally moved on, and with the brief admissions and descriptions of various flings over summer vacations and into college. But the worst of all, by far, was Kate.

Maybe it was how far gone Derek had already been when he’d brought her home the first time. Maybe it was because Kate had seemed smitten herself, had known countless, sweet little details about the young man, had been friendly and attentive and kind.

Peter felt a smug coil of pride, having hated her first, even if it was for the wrong reasons.

Kate had come by more and more, with Derek nearly kicking the door down to show her off. She learned names, routines, the ins and outs of the Hale House, and they all let her because Derek was  _happy_ and  _in love_ and it had been such a long time since he’d laughed like that. 

They’d let her close to their young.

"Oh, what a cute looking creature you are.” she cooed to whichever infant niece or nephew she’d had cradled in her arms. “Your family must love you so much." Peter had been disgusted, but for the wrong reasons. Her voice was soft and high, and Derek was gazing at her, close to awed. Peter could almost see it on his face, how the young man wanted, in a few years, for it to be  _their_ child she was cooing at. How deeply Derek wanted to get her pupped and start to add to the Pack with the person he loved. He looked so nauseatingly overjoyed, just watching her, that Peter almost slipped up and felt excited for them.

* * *

From then on, Derek only left for doctor’s visits and the occasional pack meeting, if it wasn’t held in their apartment. He didn’t even seem to notice after a while. Peter doted on him, and he spent his time lazing around, nesting, reading, mumbling softly to their quickly growing cub, preparing its new room, giving Peter little tasks to do to keep him, and in extension them all, happy.

Peter had just come home from a quick trip out, and Derek was half asleep in their bed, wearing a shirt and nothing else. Peter, seeing him all warm and soft, kicked off his shoes and snuggled into bed behind him, petting his hands down his flank, rubbing his face into the back of the young man’s neck.

“Hmm,” Derek sighed. “Hi.”

“Hi, honey. You have a good nap?”

“Mmm, I got tired waiting for you.”

“Oh, did you?” Peter hummed. His hand trailed down to cup the young man. Derek spread his legs a little. “Well, then, I’m sorry. I didn’t think I was gone that long.”

“Felt like a long time. Long enough to get ready.”

Peter laughed, fingers dancing up from where he was touching to brush over his mate’s loose, wet, little pucker of an asshole. “Oh, sweetheart. For me?”

“No, for my other mate.” Derek snorted.

Fingers breaching in, a little too viciously to be anything but unkind, Peter reminded him, “Don’t joke about that,” voice gruff and mean.

“Okay.” he breathed. “Okay. Yes.” His leg hitched up, Peter pulling his fingers out and gripping his thigh to keep it raised. Without any further prep, he lined himself up and pushed in, delighted in the low, whiny, bitchy noise the young man made.

“Never gonna leave me, honey, are you?” Peter hummed, setting a deep, hard, slow pace.

“Never.” Derek repeated, groaning, breathless.

“Nothing’s gonna take you two from me.”

“Nothing – oh, I.” and his voice bit off as Peter hit in hard, biting at the back of his neck.

“Nothing.” Peter promised.

* * *

The children coughed so much, trapped in the basement. The exit had been blocked, the room was filling with smoke, and Peter was waiting for the floor to collapse in. It was already creaking and moaning.

Talia was throwing herself at the exit, trying to break down the barricade, and his brother was shouting, “We shouldn’t have come downstairs! We’re trapped down here! We should have tried to break through upstairs!”

Their Alpha didn’t dignify that with a response, just growled before shifting fully and trying to dart back up to the main floor. She didn’t even get halfway up before she was devoured by smoke and started coughing too, her body forced to shift back, crashing down to her family.

“It’s wolfsbane.” she choked out. “In the smoke.”

Someone started howling, and someone else joined in. Cleo was snuffling against Peter’s neck and her little heart was beating so fast. He wouldn’t let her die like this. They didn’t let hunters kill their young.

“Baby,” he murmured, pulling her face away just enough to look at her, to memorize her face in their last moments. Whatever was in his expression didn’t help because it sent her crying fit into a coughing one. The floorboards groaned again. “Close your eyes.”

She did, fingers clutching his shirt. Across the room, Peter could see Talia hobbling over to her own children, readying herself to protect them from the flames. He lay his hand on the girl’s tiny throat, and her heart was racing.

“I love you so much. I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.” he promised, but sparks were flying and his brother and his wife had already put down their newborn. Cleo seemed to realize something else was wrong because her heart picked up even more and she started hacking.

Peter did what he had to, and the floor fell. In his lap, fire roaring around him, eating away at other flesh and tissue and starting to crawl towards him in his corner, Cleo’s heart was still beating although she lay very still. The rate was a quick little flutter, but he had to drop her when the flames finally caught up with him.

Waking with a start, he could still hear her heartbeat in his and Derek’s room. It was soft and close, and he started to sob into his own hands, jerking Derek awake, jolting his own pulse.

Derek’s hand was on his shoulder, and he was making a soothing noise in his throat, not needing to ask what was wrong. Peter curled into him, clutching at his arms, and the third heartbeat was consistent, steady.

“I can hear it.” Peter said, after a moment, after he’d pulled himself together. He rest a hand over the sound.

“Yeah,” Derek hummed, eyes closing, his fingers carding gently through his mate’s hair. “It’s a real thing, huh. I’ve been able to hear it for weeks. You must not have been paying attention.”

Peter froze, all the relaxation that Derek’s scent and touch had brought coiling back into tension. How could Derek say that? Peter pulled away to stare at him, but he was already drifting back to sleep. Peter had been hyper-focused on him, on them. Did Derek think he wasn’t devoting all of his energy to their safety and well-being?

He almost shook the young man awake to demand answers, but he got caught up in the thud of Derek’s heart and the thud of their child’s heart and the rhythms of them slowly lulled him calm. He’d make sure nothing happened to them again.

* * *

When Peter got home from the grocery store, Stiles was yakking away with Derek at the kitchen counter, hands animated, speech lively. Derek looked faintly pleased with the boy’s company, a soft smile on his face. His eyes darted to Peter briefly, when he entered, but his focus stayed largely on the teenager.

"Man, how many months are you even in?” Stiles asked, gesturing to Derek’s stomach, almost like he wanted to touch but wanted permission more. Peter watched him carefully, making sure he kept to himself.

“Six months, I guess.” Derek shrugged. “Right, Peter?”

“Twenty-five weeks.” Peter corrected, mouth tight, trying to put away groceries and eye Stiles at the same time.

“Wow, man!” Stiles gasped, seemingly delighted. “You’re gonna be huge, dude!”

“Thanks.” Derek drawled, and while Peter knew he was more amused than not, he still wanted to snap his teeth at the boy to make him  _behave._

“Are you sure it’s not twins?”

“It’s not.” Derek stated.

Stiles’s face broke out into a grin again. “Do you know what you’re gonna name it?”

“Well,” Derek said, letting the word linger as his voice turned to something playful and sarcastic. “We were thinking, if it’s a boy, we could name it Stiles.”

“Wow!” Stiles gushed, clearly in on the joke, which Peter didn’t think was all that funny anyway. “What an honor. And if it’s a girl.”

“Stilesica.”

“Beautiful. Truly, a name fit for a little hero.” and the last half of the words were directed toward Derek’s stomach, in a practice of the soon to be rampant babytalk. Derek huffed and rolled his eyes, but still smiled, sitting back, his hand resting on the bump.

“Okay, that’s enough.” Peter snapped. Derek’s face jerked towards him, and Stiles looked beyond confused. “It was nice that you dropped by to visit, but you’ll have to leave now.”

“But - But I just got here.” Stiles gaped.

“It’s alright.” Derek said evenly, eyes trailing to his mate, and then back to the boy. “We’ll talk later.”

“Uhh… Okay…” and Stiles stood up and, more than a little awkwardly, shuffled himself to the door. With one last wave goodbye, he saw himself out. Peter immediately crowded his mate, laying his scent on him, as if simply the lingering air that had existed around the Stilinski boy would contaminate the way Derek and the pup smelled.

“What’s up with you?” Derek asked very seriously, eyebrows drawing together. He placed a hand on the back of his uncle’s neck, thumb pressing gently as if to remind Peter that he was  _there_ and they were  _safe_ and there were no threats looming.

Peter felt condescended to,  _lied_ to. He knew,  _he knew_ , that threats were everywhere, that people Derek liked where to never be trusted, because Derek was a magnet for evil. Derek was putting their pup in  _danger_ by being so negligent. Peter had to keep them all safe.

“Stop that.” Derek demanded, and it was only then that Peter realized he’d been growling, his eyes hazing blue, claws and fangs prickling to the surface. “ _Stop_.”

“Don’t see the Stilinski brat alone anymore.”

“Why?” and it was clear, Derek thought that was ridiculous, and he thought it was a request, and that he’d need to be convinced.

Like the reasonable werewolf Peter was, he explained, “He makes me nervous and I don’t trust him.”

“Stiles is your favorite of the Pack.” Derek frowned. “You  _like_  Stiles.”

“Well, I don’t like him right now!” Peter snapped, having more and more trouble controlling himself. He could tell he was gripping Derek a little too tight, but he couldn’t stop. “He’s putting the pup in danger.”

“ _What?_ ” Derek growled, pulling away to Peter’s astonishment and displeasure. “He’s Pack, Peter. He’s…” And Derek clearly didn’t know exactly what Stiles was to him, but he said, “He’s my friend. I can’t just stay here alone all day, and you get grouchy and paranoid whenever I go out! I’m trying to compromise with you! I  _want_ to compromise with you.” he assured him.

“Don’t let him in when you’re by yourself. You can see him when other wolves are present. That’s my compromise to you.” Peter stated, voice cold, eyes unflinching on his mate.

Derek groaned. “What threat does he pose? He’s just a kid.”

“You were just a kid when you destroyed my family.”

“Oh.” Derek breathed. He blinked, and then maybe stopped breathing altogether, and Peter stared back, refusing to look away or regret what he’d said. It was the truth after all, they both knew it, and Derek needed to understand why he wasn’t allowed to make decisions like this. “Okay,” he nodded, voice thicker. He stood and walked into the bedroom.

Peter finally exhaled, slowly, and a twinge of guilt crept into his stomach, which he tamped down as best he could as he started to get dinner ready.

He had everything on the stove, starting to simmer, when Derek came back out with his pack and jacket. Peter felt his heart stutter, his face blanching, as he demanded, “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to stay in a hotel for a few days. Or maybe with Scott. You need some time to think, and… And I do too.”

Peter nearly jumped over the counter in his rush to stop Derek from getting to the door. He grabbed his arm and held tight, Derek already baring his teeth. Peter bared his right back, flashing his eyes. “ _No_.”

“Peter, get out of my way. I can’t do this right now.”

“ _You aren’t taking my child from me_.”

“No! I’m not! I’m staying at a hotel or with Scott for a few days until you’ve had some time to calm the fuck down and stop being so possessive! I’m not doing this shit with you. You know I didn’t even want kids.”

Peter’s grip turned brutal and he started to forcibly drag him away from the door, towards their bedroom. “You’re a fucking  _liar_.” he hissed. “You’re a spiteful, little - ”

“Peter, stop,” Derek snarled back, jerking back, trying to extract himself without causing any further damage. His claws were popped, but he didn’t seem to want to use them, and he kept getting pulled farther and farther from the door out. “You’re  _hurting_  me.”

“ _You’re hurting me!_ ” Peter snapped back, throwing the door open and pushing Derek inside. He slammed the door behind him and reared on Derek, who had already put a few feet between them, his hands balled into fists, his eyes blue and slitted with his anger.

“What do you expect to do here?” he snapped. Peter stood his ground, seething, watching him narrowly, not even really sure himself. “No, really, Peter. I’d love to know, because you can’t keep me in here forever.”

For some reason, the challenge did something to calm him down. “Oh, I can’t?” Peter said, easier than he felt. He ran a hand through his hair, side-eyed a look at Derek, saw him grown more nervous.

“ _No,_  you  _can’t._ ”

“Derek, you know I’ve never been swayed by this force of negativity you have.” Bitter, brittle, he added, “And if you can’t be good, if I have to hobble you in here for the next three months to keep you safe, I most certainly will.”

Derek took another step back, a hand coming up to press over his stomach, like it would need protecting.  His eyes darted to the door, and then to his mate again, and Peter could practically see the frantic gears and wheels turning in his nephew’s head as he tried in vain to think his way out of this. He took a step to the side, not quite approaching yet, but working out some sort of asinine plane.

“Peter.” he said, softly. “If you do that, you’re going to hurt the baby even more.”

“I would  _never_  hurt our child.” Peter hissed. “How could you say that to me?”

“How could you think I would leave you?” Derek threw back. “Or put the cub in danger?”

“Because you did it before, and I had to - ” Peter cut himself off, shutting his mouth with a snap.

Derek made a lost, breathless, wounded sound, “I know, and I’m  _sorry._ And I’m going to be sorry for the rest of my life. What else can I do to prove that? To make sure it never happens again? I mated  _you_  so you could trust my mate, but you still - ” Derek sat heavily onto the bed, a little unsteady with his weight. He scrubbed a hand over his face, the other still cradling his stomach.

“You don’t know.” Peter insisted, but he’d lost some of his fire. “You have no idea what it was like in the fire. What we had to go through.”

“I know.” Derek moaned, hand still covering his eyes, his shoulders tense from their effort to not shake.

“I never want to lose a child like that again.” Peter stated clearly.

“I  _know_.”

“I should do it.” Peter said. “I should fucking hobble you – keep you stuck in here so you can’t ruin anything else.” Derek lowered his hand and looked at him, eyes red but harsh, making it clear that, as sorry as he felt, he wouldn’t accept that.

“You said you’d never hurt me.”

“I said I’d never hurt the child. And even if I’d said that to you,” Peter laughed, hollow, “I’ve already gone back on that a thousand times over.”

Derek’s eyes scrunched shut, his face closing up as he started to sob again. “I love you. And I can’t stand that you hate me still. And I can’t stand you at all.”

“At least we can agree on something.”

“I - ” and Derek cut himself off, sitting up a little straighter. “Oh,” he said, his hand moving to press somewhere else on his stomach. “Oh,” and he laughed, quickly wiping away tears and looking at his mate.

“What?” Peter asked, body getting rigid, anger dissolving into worry. “What is it?”

“It’s – the pup… Peter, it’s  _kicking_.”

Peter was at his side in an instant. “Really?” he nearly choked. “It’s really…” Derek took his hand and pressed it over where the baby had decided make itself known so violently. Peter’s eyes flashed up to his mate’s face. “Are you alright? Does it hurt?”

Derek shook his head. “No. It’s – it’s weird. But it doesn’t hurt.”

“She’s probably mad that we’re making so much noise.” Peter cooed at their cub. Derek laughed, and it sounded so nice that Peter kissed him.

“I’m so sorry.” Peter said.

“No, I’m so sorry,” Derek said.

And it was all forgotten for the moment.

* * *

“We hardly see you anymore,” Scott was saying, almost suspiciously, looking between Peter and Derek. Peter looked back impassively. Derek shrugged, settling against him more, weighted and warm at his side.

“Outside of checkups, there hasn’t been much of a reason to go out.” he said. Peter squeezed his knee and Derek leaned into him a little more. “All of you can’t seem to get enough of dropping by unannounced, so we don’t have to worry about  _that._ ”

“We’ve been doing some research.” Stiles said, looking more at Scott than them as he continued, “About these sorts of pregnancies. They can really mess with you. Both of you,” he added, looking meaningfully at Peter.

Peter just grinned back. “We’re fine.” Derek shot him a small smile, and Peter wanted to get his mouth on him right there, in front of the Pack, to show him how fine they were.

“It’s just - ” Scott started, and then licked his lips, hesitating, “With your guys’ background and family stuff, it’s likely that there could be some…” He looked to Stiles for assistance.

“Hormonal issues.” he supplied. “You guys have been acting weird around each other, or, uhh… Weirder than usual. More protective.”

“It’s only natural I’d want to keep my mate safe.” Peter told him, an eyebrow quirking.

“Yeah…” Stiles started, obviously unsure.

“Stiles,” Derek said, half-amused. “Everything’s fine. I promise.”

Scott and Stiles shared another look. “Well, you two seem to be fine.” their Alpha allowed, and that was the end of that.

Derek started to listen as Stiles recounted some trivial something or other, and Peter watched him, like he always had and always would. Ever vigilant, ever in love, he was going to be the best mate and father anyone had ever had. Nothing and no one would stop him.

**Author's Note:**

> Peter gets Derek knocked up and becomes increasingly possessive. This leads to him kissing him against his will in public and then, at a later occasion, trying to keep Derek from leaving their apartment with threats of hobbling him. Derek reacts negatively to all of this, but ultimately forgets this due to the pregnancy and codependent, unhealthy nature of their relationship. All the while, there are flashbacks to the past, in which an underage sexual relationship between Peter and Derek is detailed, along with the events of the Hale fire in which several children are killed in order to keep them from being burned alive.
> 
> I dunno, bros. I did my best?
> 
> Shameless tumblr plug: [My Blog](http://gigglesnortbangdead.tumblr.com/) Apparently I do (really slow) prompt fills now. Ask before your prompt, if you can. I'm a busy young lady.


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